A new team has been set up to try and tackle problems associated with rough-sleeping and anti-social behaviour in Somerset's county town.

The initiative hopes to find new ways to work with those who are living on the streets of Taunton and find ways to help, as well as dealing with begging and anti-social behaviour that sometimes comes hand in in had with living rough.

Here's what you need to know.

One person sleeping on our streets is one too many

What is the new team?

It is made up of various agencies, including Taunton Deane Borough Council, the Police, Taunton Association for the Homeless (TAH), Open Door, Somerset County Council and other support agencies.

How will that work?

The One Team method will identify and address the issues of real concern and develop a joined-up service for rough sleepers to help them break the cycle of homelessness and addiction.

The various partners have a range of services in place that have traditionally been effective but changing circumstances including complex mental health issues and serious problems with addiction mean that a different approach is needed.

What are the causes of homelessness, and how many people in Somerset are homeless?

The partners say they are looking to take a supportive approach first, however, if someone refuses to engage and acts in a threatening or anti-social way, the agencies will take appropriate action through the legislation available.

What does the council say about the plans?

Councillor John Williams, leader of Taunton Deane Borough Council, said: "The laws and powers open to the Council and Police for addressing rough sleeping and anti-social behaviour are in practice fairly limited and often difficult to apply.

A homeless man pictured just over a month ago on Weston-super-Mare seafront (Image: Michelle Stevens)

"However, we recognise and share the concerns of the community both in terms of ensuring the welfare of these people and those that are concerned about the image of the town.

"There is no silver bullet to resolve rough sleeping in Taunton however we believe that the steps we as a multi-agency team are currently taking will start to make a real difference in the levels of rough sleeping and the behaviour of some individuals."